Advanced Micro Devices added a triple-core desktop processor to its product road map on Monday, looking to upstage rival Intel ahead of its Intel Developer Forum (IDF) conference in San Francisco this week.

The triple-core Phenom processor is slated for release during the first quarter of 2008, following the release of the first quad-core Phenom chips in December. Like the quad-core version of the Phenom, the triple-core version of the chip uses a single silicon chip instead of a multichip package that combines two chips, such as Intel employs for its quad-core chips.

AMD's announcement appeared in time to upstage IDF, which starts Tuesday. Intel will offer detailed updates on its processor road map at IDF, including more information on the release of its Penryn family of processors, slated to hit the market starting in November, and will likely discuss upcoming products, such as the Nehalem family of chips due to be released in 2008.

Intel has extended its lead in the processor market over AMD in recent quarters, after stumbling in 2006. But AMD is hoping to draw closer, counting on its recently released quad-core Opteron processor and upcoming Phenom chips to reinvigorate its product lineup.

The triple-core version of Phenom aims to reach a "broader audience" of PC users than the quad-core chips, AMD said. The company did not reveal the expected clock speeds of the triple-core chips, or say how much they will cost when released.